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We believe in connecting people with nature.
Most of our programs are FREE and open to the public. Check our calendar and join the fun! Recent happenings:
February 1, 2025 - Bird Walk at Quarry Hill
Our group of about 20 people found 17 bird species on our walk around Quarry Hill this morning. Conditions were cloudy and temps were in the 20s with a very cold east wind. We all missed the unusually warm weather we had a few days ago! We saw most of the regular resident winter birds plus a single Robin. And most of the birds were near the feeders - they know a good thing when they see it! Most Robins migrate and don't return until spring but there are always a few that decide to stay - all they need is open water, food (usually berries and seeds) and brushy areas for shelter - and Quarry Hill has all of that. Plus, the birds that stay have first choice of breeding territories, so it can be an advantage for them. We'd heard reports of Red Crossbills and White-throated Sparrows in the park earlier this week but didn't find any today. If we get some snow in the next few days that should concentrate the birds at the feeders - so we'll have to visit again for another look. Thanks to Sandy Hokanson and Dave Gross for leading today's walk. Species list: Canada Goose Mallard Mourning Dove Bald Eagle Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal Photos by Sandy Hokanson January 18, 2025 - Golden Eagle Survey
On Saturday several teams of birders took part in the annual Golden Eagle Survey sponsored by the National Eagle Center. Only one out of 3 ZVAS teams was able to locate a Golden Eagle and all reported that not many birds of any kind were flying. It was a sunny day, around 15 degrees and there was a stiff north wind. Our teams found lots of other raptors including Kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Coopers Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles. Lots of woodpeckers were out and we found several Bluebirds and Tufted Titmouse as well. The species list for Route 6 is below. We'll post the full tally from all the teams when the Eagle Center provides it (they have a lot of teams to correlate)! Many thanks to all the volunteers who took part in this year's survey and to the National Eagle Center for making it all possible. Route 6 Species List: Wild Turkey 3 Rock Dove 40 Mourning Dove 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Bald Eagle 8 Red-tailed Hawk 7 Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 4 Hairy Woodpecker 3 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 American Kestrel 2 Blue Jay 5 American Crow 12 Black-capped Chickadee 7 Tufted Titmouse 4 Horned Lark 3 White-breasted Nuthatch 7 Eastern Bluebird 6 House Sparrow 12 House Finch 1 American Goldfinch 7 Dark-eyed Junco 22 Northern Cardinal 2 Photos by Sandy Hokanson (who apologizes for the poor quality - the birds were just too far away!) Zumbro Valley Audubon needs your help to pay for programs, printing brochures and outreach supplies to teach kids and adults about nature. Donate to Zumbro Valley Audubon via giveMN.org
© ZVAS 2023 - Zumbro Valley Audubon Society - PO Box 6244 - Rochester, MN 55903
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